Five Movies Faith Never Saw
by zandra-x
Summary: Movies Faith might have seen but probably didn't.


**Five Movies Faith Never Saw**

**Marina**

The check arrives at the end of the month. It always does. Faith throws the envelope on the bed as she comes into her room. She tosses the newspaper she bought alongside it. She'll deal with them after her shower.

She doesn't do any deep thinking as the rusty showerhead sprays in its hit-or-miss way. It's just a couple of minutes of hot water to sluice away the sweat and dust. A quick shampoo, using the stuff she buys 'cause it's cheap and doesn't smell of anything but clean. She wraps the threadbare motel towel around her hair and goes to sit on the bed.

No hurry to open the envelope. The money isn't that much. Her Watcher used to call it a stipend. Mad money. Faith always came back at her with "chump change". Marina gave it to her every month when they were together. And she put it in her will, from a trust. _Faith is to receive x amount every month, and is to receive all the capital on her thirty-fifth birthday, should she survive._ Funny how Marina thought Faith would have to be middle-aged before she'd be responsible with money.

It's not this money she lives on. That, she's screwed out of the Council. Enough to set her up like a princess in a one-room castle with paper walls and a once-a-week change of sheets. Maybe she should put in for a raise. The new boy, Wezzzzzley, looks like somebody she could lean on to try to persuade the tight-assed Council.

This money goes to something else. She takes the check and cashes it into bills. Always has it with her. Like her wooden stake. One's for being ready for vampires; the other's for being ready for life. Security. She doesn't see herself ever living a big life, but she can buy a goddamn cup of coffee anytime she wants. There were times when she couldn't, and she knows it makes a difference in how you feel about yourself.

There's something else she does with the cash, if she can. It's kind of a habit she got into. She takes the newspaper and opens it to the movie page, to check what's playing.

Her watcher was nuts about movies. She'd want to see everything. She'd always be going to those grungy dumps showing black and white ones full of people who'd been worm food for years.

Once a week, as a training break, she'd insist Faith come with her 'to the cinema'. Faith made like she was doing a favor, but she didn't mind it at all. But they had to have seats on the last row; sitting still in the dark not knowing what was behind her gave Faith the creeps.

For some reason they both loved cartoons, early Disney, bizarre foreign stuff. That's what they looked for first on their outings.

So, now, when the check arrives, Faith opens the paper to the movie section. Checks out what's on. She sees what she wants at the cineplex at the mall.

She'll hitch a ride. She never invites anybody to go with her. It'll just be her in the back row of the afternoon show of _Antz_.

**Buffy**

"No."

"C'mon, B. We need the break."

"No, I have training with Giles, then I'm studying for my English test."

"Hey, the movie is in English. It's R-rated, you might learn some new words. That'll be like studying."

"Why don't you come to training with me? That'd be different."

"I already know how to hit things. Don't see the point of hitting things just so Giles can watch. Don't you think that makes him kind of kinky? Movie, B. It's about vampires and, you know, blades."

Buffy, sitting next to Faith on a bench in the school's courtyard, shifted the books she held, but made no move to leave.  
"Why do you want to go? You already saw it. And Giles isn't kinky. Just really, really tweedy."

"That's how I know it's wicked cool, 'cause I saw it. Wesley Snipes, B. I want you to see it. We could laugh at all the times he could've got killed."

"No." But Buffy had loosened her hold on her books and put them down beside her.

"We'll compromise. We blow off Giles, but you get back in time for studying. I'll tell him I thought I heard of a nest of vamps and took you with me to investigate. It'll be kinda true. And, B, these vamps in the movie, they use sunscreen. It might catch on; we should investigate it."

"You're kidding? Sunscreen?" Buffy shook her head and laughed. "That's..."

"No shit, B! C'mon. I'll buy the popcorn."

"We only stay to see it once. And the big container of popcorn."

"Done. You're going to love it, B."

**Giles**

I spotted him when I went in. He was opening the door to go into the dark to find a seat before the movie started. I was glad he didn't see me. He was probably doing what I was. Taking in a movie to get away from thinking about Slaying and Hellmouths. I like to watch movies alone, anyway. I don't want to get stuck with a talker.

Lucky the theater was old and had the doors behind all the seats. So I could spot where Giles was sitting and be a dozen rows behind him. And after it was over, but before the lights came up, I ducked out and made a stop in the restroom. I didn't see him when I came out, but just as I reached the movie's front doors, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"So, Faith, did you enjoy the film?" I guess they wouldn't be called Watchers if they didn't see stuff, would they? So I resigned myself to doing the small talk thing and turned around.

"Hey, Giles! It was okay. But, you know, that title was totally bogus. I mean, it says, monsters, right? I was totally expecting Godzilla or something."

I say things like that 'cause I get a kick out of the face they make, these smart people, like they're trying to find enough small words to explain things to me, the nice ones do, that is. Some of them get a sly look; they're going to enjoy telling me how stupid I am. Maybe I say things like that so I can tell the two kinds apart.

I can see Giles is reaching for something to say, so I take pity on him, "That's just a joke, son. I'm a Frankenstein freak. Ever since I watched the original movie on late night TV when I was a kid and it scared the crap out of me. Show me a Frankenstein movie and I'm there. I heard this one was about the director, sounded cool. So how come you're here, just want to hear some old home accents?"

Giles gives me that one side of his lips upturned a quarter inch that passes as his smile. "Well, there's that, of course. And I'm naturally interested in the mythology of Frankenstein's monster. Still more, there's very little that passes for entertainment in this town."

"Tell me about it."

By this time we're outside. Giles says, "Since we're no doubt the only two of our acquaintance who will have seen this film, can I buy you a frothy coffee at the Espresso Pump and we can chat about it?"

"You're buying? I'm there." So we go down the street and settle in with a couple of coffees, and I manage to snag a big-ass muffin, too.

So we talk about the movie and Giles tells me some neat stuff about this director, James Whale, and what he called the "historical context", but I got what he meant. We stayed away from talking about Slaying and Watching. Because who wants to talk about work all the time? Besides, I really don't get these guys, Watchers. I can see dusting vamps, swinging that old axe at a demon. But _reading_ about it 'til your eyes bleed? Doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

We worked our way through two coffees, yakking about Frankenstein, and Giles gives up correcting me for saying Frankenstein when I mean the monster. Then I had this thought. "Hey, Giles, do you think the Watchers' Council sees the Slayers like that, like monsters they created? Or, you know, try to control, do their bidding?"

Giles sits up straighter, and just looks at me. I thought maybe I went over the line. Wouldn't be the first time I ticked some suit off. But all he says is, "I've never seen that parallel before. Perhaps you're right; there might be a tendency for them to see the Slayers like that. Regrettable, but I'm afraid just human nature. Excellent point."

He looked at me like I just gave him a book he didn't know existed or handed in a good term paper. I thought maybe it was a good time to say goodnight. A high note. Besides, sitting and talking is okay, but I was getting antsy. So I said, "Hey, Giles, it's been real. You know, the schmoozing and all, but I think I'll do a little patrolling before I turn in. So, see you later, alligator." I jumped down from my stool to head out, but then I had to laugh, 'cause he says, in his best wool vest voice, "Afterwhile, crocodile."

Watchers, man, always full of surprises.

**The Mayor**

She knew who it was before she reached the door. He used his special knock. Rap-rap-rap, pause, rap-rap.

Faith was expecting him but not the boxes he was carrying.

"Hey, boss! What's up with the cardboard luggage?"

"It's a little surprise for my favorite girl, Faith. I know things are a little slow for you since you're not patrolling. And it's a couple of weeks until Ascension, so I thought that this would be just the thing to while away some evenings. It's a VCR. And I have some tapes."

"Blank tapes?"

"Of course not, silly. Movie tapes. Isn't great that you don't have stay up to the middle of the night to catch a good movie? You can see it anytime and without those annoying commercials. Gosh, this is a great time to be alive."

Faith watched as the Mayor, using the small penknife he kept on his key ring, begin to slice open the tape sealing the VCR box. It was hard not to smile at the guy, he was so enthusiastic. "Yeah, well, I'm always up for a good movie. The machine, that could be a problem. When things don't work, I tend to bash them 'til they do. I lost a couple of TVs that way."

The Mayor was lifting the VCR out of the box and setting it gently on the coffee table. "Now, Faith, there's no need for that. We're going to take a few minutes after I set this up to show you how to work it properly. You're a smart girl; you just need to be a little more patient. And wait until you see the movies I brought. Classics."

"Something like _Halloween_? I like a good slasher. All those dumb teenagers doing the stupidest things they can."

"No, no. Nothing like that. You kids today don't know what a good movie is. All that gore, no." The Mayor gathered all the plastic and styrofoam packing from the VCR, put them back in the cardboard box and interweaved the flaps of the box to shut it. He handed Faith a paper bag and said, "Microwave popcorn. Why don't you make some up while I set the machine up? Watch it close; it burns before you know it."

Faith took the bag. It looked like it was going to be family fun night. Hey, he was the boss, if that's what he wanted, okay by her. He was paying the freight. She'd spent worse nights, that's for sure. "So, what's the movie?"

"It was so hard to choose. But I thought we'd start with a comedy. Something surefire. And you know who always make me laugh? The Marx Brothers. So I brought _Duck Soup_." The Mayor, grinning widely, went on, "It makes me want to giggle just thinking about it. Rufus T. Firefly!"

Faith took the popcorn and headed toward the microwave. "Okay, boss. I never heard of it, but it sounds good. Popcorn and a movie. Can't wait."

**Oz**

Faith thought if she looked at Wesley's face one more minute, she'd have to deck him. Lay him out flat if she heard him say, again, _Now, Faith..._ That she needed training That it was his job to direct her. That the Council decided what she did. Man, the new guy had no idea how close he came to trauma.

She told him she had to go to the bathroom, left the library, and then the building. What to do now? She could patrol but things had been quiet lately, like the tide was out or something. Buffy and Joyce were doing one of those bonding nights; Faith was totally third wheel there. Maybe she could catch a movie.

She hoped to God there was something worth seeing. You'd think a Hellmouth would be crawling with skin-flick theaters or continual showings of _Friday, the 13th_. Instead, there was usually some artsy crap in the one movie house. Whoever was running this town put a lot of work into things being "normal".

She brightened when she saw the marquee and the posters. _Dark City_. That looked okay. People coming out; the show just ended.

Her eye caught a familiar face. Oz.

"Hey, Oz!"

He walked over to her. "Faith."

"You been, huh?" She gestured toward the theater.

"Yeah."

"Worth seeing?"

"It's kinda cool. Didn't make a lot of sense. But it's dark like it says; the bad guys are pretty scary. Good make-up."

"Cool. So, no Willow?"

"Homework. School night."

"Right. Okay then. Well, I'm gonna go catch it. See ya, Oz."

"Yeah. Enjoy. Later." Faith watched Oz amble off.

She headed toward the ticket-seller window. Every Slayer needs some down time.

The End

The five movies:  
Antz  
Blade  
Gods and Monsters  
Duck Soup  
Dark City


End file.
